Tigers and lions are roaming the streets of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi after heavy flooding destroyed enclosures at the city’s zoo.
Residents in the city are being warned to stay indoors after the incident which has seen several dangerous animals escape.
The zoo said an escaped hippopotamus had been cornered in one of the city's main squares and subdued with a tranquilliser gun.
Some other animals have also been seized, and it remains unclear how many are on the loose.
Bears and wolves are also among the animals who fled from their enclosures amid the flooding from heavy rains and high winds.
Helicopters are circling the city and residents have been told to stay indoors except in an emergency.
Three zoo workers died in the flooding.
The zoo said one of those killed was Guliko Chitadze, a zookeeper who lost an arm in an attack by a tiger last month.
The severe weather turned a normally small stream that runs through the hilly city into a surging river. The flooding also damaged dozens of houses.
City mayor David Narmania told journalists that eight people are known to have died and 10 others are missing.
It is not clear if the eight people were killed by the flooding or animal attacks.
